Ok…let’s get one thing totally straight right out of the gate. (That rhymed.) I really love my home state. It is gorgeous all year round, we have some of the most amazing nature attractions on earth, we get every season in good measure, we have incredible snow, we have amazing summers…I could go on.

I like the schools, I like the environment, I like the people around me. It is home.

BUT! My geek bone sometimes aches in pain when it comes to one weird thing: I am looked upon as an alien. For example, nearly EVERY single adult I have spoken to about WALL-e has said that they hated the movie…that it was too slow, or too artistic, or too “out there”. This is not just a WALL-e problem…this seems to be true of EVERY movie ANYONE sees around here that does not have a stereotypical main character, a big car chase in the middle, and perfect little happen ending. Drives me up a tree!

I just want people to maybe, just maybe, look a little deeper, expect a little more, grasp a little harder. I’ve always felt like this, even as a kid. My drawings were “weird and a waste of time” to most everyone I seemed to talk to. Thankfully, my mom and dad had the wisdom to encourage me to explore my talents, regardless of what the rest of our little world was saying.

You really should hear my try to explain to people what it is that I do, and why people seem to like it. The stares are so blank, there is almost nothing there at all. Let along mention what a Podcast is…people look at me like I have a giant eyeball growing out of my face or something.

Now, I should not say it’s EVERYONE. There are loads of EL readers right here in Utah, they get it, and they get me. And I have some savvy neighbors. Was chatting with one last night, and not only does he totally get this stuff, he is encouraging his very talented son to learn things like Flash and Photoshop and other skills that will help him hone his brand of creativity.

So I don’t to paint too broad a stroke here..I’m just saying that this WALL-e thing really set me off and I felt like venting. (And Bobby, if you are reading this, you should see it again and see if you still feel the same.)